Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
Credit: X/@DrVedu
Two Indian astronaut-designates Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair are undergoing training in the US for the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission. ISRO has assigned Shukla for the Ax-4 mission while Nair would be the backup candidate.
The mission that is set to get launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will mark India's second human spaceflight sponsored by the government in the last four decades, after Rakesh Sharma.
"As the Ax-4 pilot, Shukla will assist me in conducting essential spacecraft operations, such as navigation and docking procedures," the mission commander Peggy Whitson told The Times of India, adding that he is currently undergoing training that will prepare him to handle emergencies and perform system check critical to the mission.
Meanwhile, Shukla will also help set up and manage the microgravity experiments that will support the scientific research.
For this, he will receive extensive training in the technical and operational aspects of spacecraft.
"We work closely with Nasa and other international space agencies to ensure smooth integration with ISS. Additionally, Axiom invests in cutting-edge medical research and technology to monitor and maintain astronaut health during missions. By leveraging these strategies, Axiom Space aims to mitigate risks and ensure the success of our missions," Whitson told TOI.
In order to ensure they are ready for the mission, she added that the team has been enacting energy scenarios, practicing mockups, reviewing procedures. They have also been learning about launch site operations.
Whitson who is America's most experienced astronaut with a history of 675 days in space, said, "This mission will realise the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and second govt-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years."